Well hello everyone! Did you think I forgot to update all of you? I actually didn’t, but we’ve been so busy this summer enjoying life I didn’t want to take the time to sit down and spend time on the computer.

Jacob is great! Life is great! Things are great! Okay, I’ll try to fill you in where I left off. So much to tell! First off, the last day of treatment was great! How can it be bad when we’re celebrating something so wonderful? They spoiled Jacob of course and Caleb too! Lots of gifts and cake. 🙂 Ken was able to arrive in time for the party. Caleb and I went down to the lobby to meet him and Caleb ran up to him and said “Dad, I did it!! I made it through it all!!!” It brought a tear to our eyes. It’s so easy to put your focus on the child fighting the cancer, but we sometimes forget how hard it is on the siblings too.

After chemo was done (YES!), we went to Bay Beach and rode some rides and then off to dinner at Texas Roadhouse – Jacob’s choice. So if you’re familiar with the restaurant, when it’s someones birthday, they have them get on a “bull” and some people clap. Caleb begged Jacob to tell our waitress that it was his last day of treatment. Jacob was very hesitant to agree since he doesn’t like to be the center of attention. Caleb won. Soon, our waitress announced “We have a special guest with us tonight. 11 year old Jacob had his last chemo treatment today”, while Jacob sat on the “bull”…. Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled! It was unbelievable how loud it got in there. I did everything to keep from bawling. Jacob gave everyone a big “Yee Haw!” The owner came over to congratulate him and gave the boys ice cream and brownies. Someone (anonymous) paid for our dinner and when we left, the employees were lined up to shake his hand and congratulate him. It was an AWESOME day!!! Thank you God for all of your blessings!!!

Saturday we got up early to join in the fun that Take ’em Outdoors organization had – a walleye tournament. It was just for fun for kids diagnosed with life threatening diseases and combat wounded vets. Everyone was assigned to a fishing pro to fish with. The couple we were assigned to were amazing!! We had such a good time with them and enjoyed fishing on their beautiful boat (pictures below).

Since then, we’ve been just loving life and keeping busy. We had a party for Jacob in July to celebrate his health – JacobPalooza. That was a lot of fun being with friends and family. Jacob also had scans on July 8th. EKG, ECHO, XRay, PET, MRI, CT Scan and bloodwork. It took several hours, but praise God, all of them came back great! All of Jacob’s blood counts were perfect except for his lymphocytes, which is part of his immune system that helps fight off viruses and bacteria. That was only at 500. They would prefer a couple thousand at least. His docs said it could take up to 6 months to get it where it needs to be.

Let’s see, what else have we done. We have gone swimming, hiking, biking, saw many different waterfalls, had a wonderful camping trip in Brevort, went to the Soo, camping and hiking in Grand Marais, kayaking several times, went to the UP State fair, miniature golfing and zip-lining to name a few. We just love being home as a family.

School started on Tuesday (1st day picture below. Look at all that beautiful hair!) and as a 7th grader this year, Jacob is loving it. He has to get up at 6:00 every morning and catch the bus at 7:00. Actually both the boys do. So far so good. I think he’ll do good energy wise. Even though his energy was up and down all summer, it’s been on the upswing lately. He’s been kayaking for a couple of hours at a time and last weekend he hiked 3 miles in and out of a waterfall with no complaints. Ken and I were laughing because there’s Jacob – everything he’s been through going steady and strong and Caleb complained about being tired and could barely walk on the way out. Ha! Jacob still suffers from chemo brain – his short term memory is certainly not functioning the best. Hopefully it’ll get better. His oncologist said it should, but some don’t. Please pray it will!

Unfortunately we’ve lost a couple of cancer fighters this summer. It just breaks my heart! I can’t imagine what these families must be going through. Please be praying for Avery and Uzias’ families. For complete peace. Please continue to pray for Julia and Selena as they are fighting hard!

I will try to update more often. Now that the kids are in school 🙁 . I miss them lots, but I’ll have more time to get online. I just got a job with Skandia Township, which is only a few hours a month, but it will be enough to keep me preoccupied a little bit while my babies are gone. 🙂 Thank you again everyone for your support over the past couple of years. I know a lot of people didn’t or don’t agree with our choices we made for Jacob, but we did what we believed was right and what God wanted us to do and we don’t regret any of it. We believe he’s here today because of it. He’ll have scans again October 2nd, so I’ll keep you updated on that. God bless you all Team Jacob!!!

We had a pretty good week. Unfortunately with our appointment on Monday, Wednesday and today being early in the morning, that makes for a pretty long day. If Jacob is tired and run down, that’s a lot of hours sittin’ around doing nothing. I am so not a reader, so what else is a girl to do? 🙂 I try a little bit here and there, but I can get tired of it real quick!

The weather was beautiful this week. We walked to the hospital on Tuesday, but couldn’t get Jacob going early enough yesterday or today. Yesterday, we did end up going to the Wildlife Sanctuary. That was a lot of fun. I was upset I forgot my camera. The boys had a really good time too. The best part was that it is free! 🙂 We were there several hours and walked a lot. Great exercise for Jacob! He needs to build up his stamina and build some muscle bad. We came back to the hotel for dinner and then went back downtown to the Farmers Market. Wow……certainly nothing like Marquette’s. It was soooo crowded, but they had so many vendors – all kinds of foods and crafts. It was awesome! We were very impressed. We each got a smoothie, but that was the extent of our purchases. 🙂 I was so proud of Jacob doing all that walking Wednesday. I figured he would be in some pain today, but he said he felt great.

Today after chemo we came back to the hotel, ate lunch and then ran some errands. Nothing too exciting, but it was very warm out today so I was happy we chose to do the sanctuary yesterday. Caleb loves “working out” in the exercise room here at the hotel, so we did that tonight. We’ve gone just about every night this week. I just usually walk on the treadmill while he lifts weights. 🙂 He tells me he’s getting buff! Ha!

Chemo went well all week. It seems to get harder on him each round. So very very thankful that we are done TOMORROW! I don’t know how much more he can take. He hasn’t been sick, but I can tell that he has less and less tolerance for certain smells and talking about certain foods or his brothers gross stories. 🙂 His stomach is a lot weaker than it was just a couple of months ago, so I’m glad he can now be on a constant upswing and get strong and healthy again. Hopefully it won’t take him too long.

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is his last day. Just about 9 months ago, the nightmare was starting over again. After the first experience, who would’ve thought Jacob would be doing so well. What a celebration that is!! Speaking of celebrations, Child Life is planning a big party for him tomorrow (they tell me). We asked for a late appointment since Ken is heading down after work, he’s hoping to be here for that and meet Jacob’s doctor and nurses. He actually hasn’t even had a chance to do that yet. It should be a great start to a wonderful weekend, summer and the rest of our lives! 🙂

I will continue to update you all. Jacob will be having scans the week of July 8th. The appointments are not set in stone yet. Please be praying that the scans are still clear and continue to be. We are believing in God’s healing in Jacob’s life and will speak truth and life over him. I pray Psalm 91 over him often. 🙂

I can’t thank you all enough for all of your prayers! Jacob has thrived through this treatment. Gaining weight, feeling good and mentally healthy. Praise God!! We appreciate all of your support too! I wish we could thank each and every one of you individually. Thank you Team Jacob!!! WE LOVE YOU ALL! 🙂

Guess what??? We’re in Green Bay again and what does that mean? JACOB’S LAST WEEK OF TREATMENT!!! WOOHOO!!! Yes, we’re just a little bit excited. Can you tell? Jacob is soooo excited! He has brought it up several times over the last few days and practically bounces off the walls when he talks about it. 🙂 We are excited too, of course. I’m so glad it’s just about over. I am so tired!! So very very tired! Mentally and physically. I can’t wait to have a good nights sleep. 🙂

We had a good time at home, of course. I hurt my back digging flowers right after we got home, so I didn’t get much done. Was hoping to work out in the yard lots, but that didn’t happen. I guess that’s God’s way of telling me to not go by my plans because He has plans of His own. 🙂 So after several chiropractor appointments from 2 different chiropractors, I finally feel better. Not 100%, but better. The worst part is, sitting causes the worst pain. Guess what I’m doing a lot of this week? Ugh!!

Anyway, last week, my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece came up for the week for a visit. It was so good seeing them! We had just seen them about a month ago at my Mom and Dads, but that was just for one day. This time we really got to enjoy their company and of course love on the kids, Brady and Paige. Jacob and Caleb love them and enjoyed playing with them. They’re 1 and 3, so I enjoyed having little ones around the house.

So now we’re to this week…….. Now only 4 days of chemo left! Caleb is with us of course and Ken is coming down to meet us on Friday for a big fishing trip on Saturday with “Take ‘Em Outdoors”. The organization that took Jacob turkey hunting back in April. We will be walleye fishing with pros and semi-pros. After, they will be serving lunch and will have an afternoon of fun. We’re really looking forward to it. What a great way to end chemo and celebrate with a day of fun!

More good news, Jacob will have scans again in a few weeks and will need his port taken out. His docs down in Milwaukee at CHOW said originally that they would want to see him for future scans and checkups. We were really hoping we could do all of those appointments in Green Bay for the shorter drive. So, I did a little begging, and his main doctor at CHOW agreed that Jacob could do all future appointments and scans in Green Bay and we would only need to head down if there were any concerns. PRAISE GOD!!! That is a major blessing, especially with less driving time and with the gas prices…….

Please continue to keep Jacob in your prayers! These kids who go through this treatment need your continued prayers for years and years. Not just through treatment. We appreciate your prayers so much! Can you please continue to pray for Julia, Avery and Uzias? They’re all having a rough time right now with that “C” monster coming back. Please pray for a miracle to happen in their lives.

Well, our week in Green Bay is coming to an end. Yay! It was a pretty good week. I think I jinxed myself when I said that Jacob hasn’t even had the sniffles in a couple of years. Guess what? He woke up Tuesday morning with the sniffles. Seriously! Actually, I don’t believe in jinxing, but how ironic! I’m thinking it’s allergies. He feels great, but stuffy and sneezing. Even the nurse said that his eyes looked a little puffy Wednesday. The pollen is pretty heavy down here. Yellow all over the van and there’s cotten flying through the air. I’ve also had several sinus headaches this week. Hopefully it’ll be over soon.

Wednesday after clinic, we went to the NEW Zoo. We had a great time! We had never been there before, so it was all new to us. The kids had a blast! I will post some pictures below. They even got to pet a Bearded Dragon. Jacob loves lizards, so it was perfect. He also chased several peacocks around hoping one of them would drop a feather for him, but that didn’t happen. 🙂

Thursday after clinic we went to Hobby Lobby and Pet Smart. Jacob loves going to Hobby Lobby to stare at the rocket kits they have and we always have to go to Pet Smart when we’re in town to see the dogs they have in the adoption center. 🙂 Our Pet Smart at home only has the cats.

Today after clinic we decided to go to Bay Beach. It was wonderful! The best way to describe it is like a permanent carnival. 🙂 Each ticket is 25 cents and most rides are 1 or 2 tickets. The weather was beautiful and for only a few dollars each, they had hours of fun! It made the rest of the day go by fast and guess what, now tomorrow we get to go home. Yay!! We have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 8:00. The clinic is closed on Saturdays, so we’ll have to go to the Peds floor. Hopefully they move quickly like the nurses in clinic do so we’re in and out of there within a few hours.

On a sad note, Jacob’s hair started falling out a couple of days ago. I’m actually surprised it’s been coming in as well as it has for still doing chemo. I asked his doc about it and he said that it’s been barely hanging on from the chemo and if his body is fighting anything off, it’s enough to make it fall out. Perhaps from the allergies? Poor guy! He’s so sad about that. He’s been waking up the last couple of mornings with his pillow covered in hair. Stinks when he’s so close to the finish. He doesn’t want to be bald again, but I reminded him that’ll only be for a short time. Only one more treatment to go and then his hair will grow back for GOOD!!

Well, just wanted to give an update of the week. I probably won’t write again till we’re back, but ya never know! God bless you all! We appreciate you all and your prayers so much! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! 🙂

Hello everyone! Hope you all are doing well. We are! Got back to Green Bay this morning. Our home away from home. 🙂 Our two weeks went by fast at home, but guess what that means? We’re just that much closer to being done. Yay!!

On our way home on Friday (two weeks ago), we stopped by Caleb’s school and picked him up. He wasn’t expecting us, so when he saw us, the look on his face was priceless! I wish I could take those moments and bottle them up. Loved it!!! Thankfully the last little bit of snow melted that day, but then we ended up getting more Saturday and Sunday. At least that snow didn’t stay. How depressing that would be! I hated to admit it, but it was beautiful – all the snow stuck on the branches. Maybe beautiful for November, but not for May!

So guess what? On Sunday night after we got back, I ended up getting the flu! Yuck! I haven’t had that in awhile. So apparently that’s what Caleb must have had before we left. Ken didn’t feel good in between us, but of course Jacob got through it! That kid has been so healthy (believe it or not) the last couple of years. Other than the ugly “C” word, he hasn’t even had the sniffles! Well, I felt horrible, but mended quickly. Thankfully it only lasted about 12 hours.

Wednesday, Caleb had his first baseball practice. He seemed to like it okay, but I think it’ll be a little too slow moving for him. He likes action!!! Unfortunately he missed his first game, but he’ll have plenty to make up for it. 🙂

On Friday, the boys and I headed downstate to my parents house as my older sister was throwing a baby shower for my younger sister. I really didn’t want to get in the car again – either did Jacob, but we were so excited to see the family. My older sister and 3 of her kids were there along with her oldest daughters husband; my brother, his wife and their 2 kids; my younger sister and her son. And of course my parents. 🙂 I was also able to see a couple of Aunts and cousins. The best part was being able to see my Grandma who is 98 years old. 🙂 I haven’t seen most of them since last summer. We had a wonderful time, but came back on Monday.

Jacob ended up going to school half day on Tuesday and decided to try a full day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I didn’t know how he would do going three full days, but he made it okay. He had a good time especially knowing that that was his last week of school.

Friday, Caleb had his first baseball game (that we made it to). They got spanked! It wasn’t pretty! Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of baseball, so it was very long and boring. 2 1/2 hours! Yes, I love watching my kids play sports, but there was nothing to watch. Barely any hitting or running for our team. Ha! Hopefully things will be better next game. We had a couple of graduation parties over the weekend. Had a good time visiting with friends. By the way, congratulations Megan and Laura! 🙂 Sunday we went to church and then our friends John and Joy along with their girls came over for a cookout. We had a very nice visit and the weather was gorgeous. As a matter of fact, it was gorgeous all weekend! It was so nice spending all our extra time outside. We didn’t want it to end. Even better, Jacob felt fantastic! Jacob and Caleb went on a bike ride over the weekend. I thought that would knock him down, but I think he was even more hyper after he went. Ken and Jacob played around in the woods Monday morning and did a lot of walking. He wanted to keep going and had wonderful energy. So happy to see that.

Arrived in Green Bay today. We decided to bring Caleb along. Ken’s work is just getting too busy and with school ending on Thursday, it’s just too much to find someone for Friday and Saturday to take him along with early in the morning and after school. Glad I have my little man with me. 🙂 It was a long day at the clinic. The first day here is always a long day. By the time they check his blood counts, have our doctor visit and start and finish chemo, it’s usually at least a 5 hour day. It may not seem like much to some, but it is! Thankfully, his counts were fantastic!! They haven’t been this good since before chemo started in October. Yay! So, with Memorial Day messin’ things up a bit, we won’t be leaving till Saturday. But that’s okay….at least he’ll only have one treatment left! Praise God!!

On a sad note, Little Zeke who I’ve asked prayer for in the past passed away about a week ago. Also, sweet Bella passed away earlier today. Please keep these families in your prayers! My heart just aches for them. Cancer sucks!!! Also, please continue to pray for precious Julia. She finished a different chemo to see if it would take care of the relapse, but it didn’t even touch it. Now they’re planning on a stem cell transplant at St. Judes. Please pray for a miracle in this little girls life!

Well, it’s getting late and we have an early day tomorrow. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers! Jacob is doing wonderful! So thankful for God’s protection on him. We praise Him and thank Him everyday for it! I will try to post a picture of him soon so you can see for yourselves. 🙂 Blessings to you all!

Happy Spring everyone! Do you think it’s actually here? To stay? We have been enjoying the few nice days we’ve had and thankful that the snow is just about gone in our yard. 🙂 Jacob and I are back in Green Bay. Arrived here yesterday morning. So hard to leave knowing we were supposed to have beautiful weather back home this week. Well, at least early on in the week. Ken said maybe even snow again next weekend. Ugh! I’m sick of that “S” word. 🙂

Our time at home was lovely, as usual. Enjoyed every second, even if the weather was crummy or things weren’t going perfect. Just being together as a family makes it perfect enough. Jacob did well and felt great. His counts on Thursday after we got home were great. His “low point” never got very low. So thankful for that. So of course his numbers just got better and better from there. Thankfully he hasn’t had to have a transfusion since February and I’m pretty sure that was mostly due to radiation.

We didn’t do a whole lot while we were home. Just spent every extra minute outdoors. Whether that was raking, playing catch, sitting on the deck or playing one of Caleb’s made-up games. 🙂 Jacob went to school last week. Tuesday and Wednesday were half days, Thursday and Friday were whole days. Friday was a field trip, so that was a bonus for him. He was looking forward to it so much that he woke me up at midnight the night before to tell me that he couldn’t sleep. I’m sorry, but how about you let me sleep??? 🙂 I went with him and it certainly was not the best weather for it. Cold and rainy! Yuck! His science class has been raising salmon from eggs this whole school year, so we went to the Dead River in Marquette to release them. After that, we went to Presque Isle to the Nature Center and Bog Walk. They ate lunch in the buses since it was so crummy and then headed to the Fish Hatchery. It was an interesting trip, but would have been a lot more enjoyable in nice weather. All that standing and walking pooped Jacob out cuz he was wiped out on Saturday. He actually laid around for awhile.

Saturday was an exciting day for the boys though. Mostly Jacob. As some of you may know, he loves Iron Man and he got the nickname Iron Man 2 years ago when this whole lovely lifestyle started. Iron Man 3 came out this past weekend, so of course we had to go. My cousin and his wife gave the boys a gift card for Valentine’s Day to do something fun. They didn’t hesitate a minute to decide that it was being saved for when Iron Man 3 came out. Both boys decided to bring their best buds with them. We went out for pizza ahead of time and then went to the movies. It was a good time had by all!!! Thank you Chris and Theresa for blessing us with a fun day!! 🙂

Sunday was an okay day, I guess. Caleb ending up getting the stomach flu. Ugh! At least I think it was. He did throw up a couple of times, but he always seems to get sick right before I leave for GB or when I’m gone. Never when I’m home. Not sure how much of it is actual sickness and how much is because he’s upset that I’m going or gone. We kept him home Monday to get better. Unfortunately Jacob and I had to leave, so Ken had to take Monday off. Now he’ll have to work Saturday when we’re home. Pooey! I’ll be so happy when our lives are “normal” again. Whatever that means!

Speaking of being almost back to “normal”, after this week, Jacob has only 2 rounds left! Yippee!!! One Memorial Day week and the other the 3rd week of June. It stinks that his next round falls on Memorial Day week because the clinic is closed on Monday, so we’ll have to be here Tuesday through Saturday. I hate my weekends being messed up. That’s family time! Oh well, at least we’re almost to the end. Hopefully it doesn’t drag on too much. Our 2 weeks home just fly by way too fast. 🙂

I have a couple of prayer requests…. Little Zeke, who I’ve asked for prayer for before is not doing well. They have hospice in and he isn’t waking up. Please pray for a miracle in that little boys life. I apologize, I’m not quite sure of his exact age, but I believe he’s 3? Also for Julia. She’s a sweet 9(?) year old who is so brave and could teach us all adults a thing or two about faith. She has also been fighting Ewings. Was in remission for a couple of months earlier this year and just found out her cancer has come back. She is in so much pain! Please pray that God will give her parents wisdom in what to do next with her treatment.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Jacob and the rest of our family. Even though he’s doing fantastic, we musn’t forget that he still is getting chemo. Topotecan, a cytotoxic drug and Cyclophosphamide, mustard gas. Please continue to pray for protection over every inch of his body. 🙂

Happy Monday! Just kidding! Well, back in ole cheeseland again. We had a wonderful couple weeks at home, so I’ll fill you in….

It was so nice when we got back to town on Friday, the 29th. We sunbathed (fully clothed) on the deck when we got home. We hadn’t seen much of the sun in the past few months, so it felt great! We ended up having a bonfire and visited with friends. Caleb had the following week off for spring break, so I enjoyed all the extra time with him. We told him to pick something extra fun to do for spring break and he picked bowling. So, Tuesday after Ken got off work, we headed into Marquette. We had wonderful family time. Thursday, Jacob’s best bud came over for a few hours. He told me numerous times afterwards how happy he was to see him. It had been a long time since they got together out of school. So happy they had such a good time!

On Friday, we headed back to Green Bay. Yes, on our weekend off. Yes, we’re crazy! 🙂 An amazing organization called Take ‘Em Outdoors invited Jacob to go on a turkey hunt. It was awesome! We got down there (or should I say here) late afternoon. We all met at a shooting range so the kids (about 10 of them) could practice shooting their guns and meet their mentors who would be taking them out. After that they had a pizza party back at the hotel that they put us up in for the night. Saturday morning, Ken and Jacob got up at 4:00 and headed out for the hunt. They got back mid morning with a turkey in hand! Yay!! Jacob was so excited! I think he was more excited than the two bucks he’s gotten in the last two years. 🙂 Everyone met at a restaurant across the road from the hotel for lunch they provided and handed out turkey calls and a mounting kit for the tail and beard. So amazing! Let me tell ya, I’ve heard that turkey call noise coming from Jacob’s room quite a bit over the past week. 🙂 Most of the time he does it just to drive our dog crazy. Ha! We ended up staying till Sunday. We met amazing people and new friends! Caleb had a blast playing in the pool with siblings of the hunters. It was a great time for all of us! We’re looking forward to the “Battle on the Bay” they’re putting on in June. I will post a couple pictures below, but you can check them out on Facebook or their website, www.takeemoutdoors.org. If you know of a child fighting a terminal or life threatening illness, please pass on this info. They are fairly new and are trying to get the word out. They even do hunts for combat wounded veterans. Can’t wait to see our new friends again! Thank you again Ginger for watching Katy for us! 🙂

Last week Ken had the week off, so we enjoyed veggin out together. It was kind of a lazy week, but loved every minute of it. Jacob’s counts were great on Monday, so he was able to go to school half a day Tuesday and half a day Wednesday. He went full day on Thursday and was hoping to go a full day on Friday too, but guess what? Another snow day! Ugh! It was nice to have the whole family home, but seriously? This crazy weather can stop anytime now. I’m sick of the white stuff!! Caleb said he was happy because he “really needed a break!”. Ha! He just had the week before off. Too funny! The weather was so awful (I’m being sarcastic) that I dropped Ken and the boys off at the river to fish while I did my grocery shopping. It was a win win. 🙂

So this morning we dropped Caleb off at school and headed back down here to Green Bay once more. I could probably drive it with my eyes closed, but I promise I won’t try. Jacob’s counts were perfect still. So thankful for that! He hasn’t had to have a transfusion in almost a month, so hopefully that trend stays. He had his doctor checkup, started fluids and got his chemo. When he was done, he wanted to stop by and see his friends in the radiation department. Those ladies were so excited to see him! Lots of hugs were given. They are wonderful people. We miss seeing them, but don’t miss the radiation. 🙂 Then off to get groceries and headed back to our home away from home – the Days Inn. They just put in new carpet, so trying to deal with that smell. Thankfully it was close to 60 here today, so we were able to open the window to air it out a bit and get some essential oils flowing in the air to help.

Hopefully this week goes by fast! It gets harder and harder to leave Ken and Caleb behind. You’d think we’d be used to it by now, but we’re not. I wish I could take Caleb with me each time. It’s hard to leave him behind with tears, but do I dare give CPS another reason to harass us again??? Gotta love the freedom we have. On a good note, Jacob only has 3 more rounds after this week! Yay!! So happy about that. So happy that the end is in sight. The last one will be towards the end of June, so we’ll have Caleb with us for sure!

Well, better go. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your prayers and support. We are so excited to see what God has planned for our lives. For Jacob’s life. We know it must be something awesome! Our God is a perfect and loving God. He doesn’t make mistakes!!

Please continue to keep the following children in prayer during their current treatment:

Our week here in Green Bay is finally coming to an end. Yay!!! It hasn’t gone by as fast as I would like, but at least it’s coming to a close. 🙂

Jacob had a good week. Chemo went well. No problems whatsoever! I’m so happy that he feels so good. They give him one dose of Zofran before he starts and that’s it. We don’t have to do anything else the rest of the day. It’s also been so nice outside yesterday and today. The sun has been out and a beautiful blue sky. It was so nice that Jacob asked if we could walk to his appointment both days. So, we did! It was a gorgeous walk!! Can’t wait till spring is here for good and the snow is gone. That’ll also help time fly when we can get out more here in G.B.

Tuesday, we went to the movies. Jacob got a gift card from Child Life back in January and had been saving for the “right” movie. He didn’t want to waste it on just any movie. Well, I guess “The Oz” was worthy enough, so that’s what we saw. It was pretty good. “The Wizard of Oz” is one of my childhood favorites so I wasn’t sure about a prequel, but it wasn’t too bad.

Yesterday we just hung out. He was pooped yesterday so we just relaxed after walking back from the hospital. I’m not a fan of days like yesterday. They just seem to drag on and on. Thankfully today we got out for a few hours. Got some lunch, walked around the mall and Jacob played with a boucy ball in the hotel parking lot while I sat in the sun when we got back. It got up to 53 degrees today. Awesome!

Tomorrow Jacob’s appointment is at 8:00 so hopefully we’ll get out of Green Bay by 11:00ish. His radiation oncologist, Dr. Leenstra, will also be stopping by to take a look at his back. He hasn’t seen him since his radiation was over. I think he will be pleasantly surprised when he sees how good his back looks. You would never know!!!

Can’t wait to see Ken and Caleb. I’m even excited to see our sweet little pug! Ha! It’ll be nice to be home as a family again. It gets harder everytime we go.

Thank you to everyone that sends us messages or comments. We appreciate them and enjoy reading them. They make our day! 🙂 And of course we appreciate your prayers so very very much!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter! Don’t forget what that special day is all about – not bunnies!!

Jacob’s scans were CLEAR!! Praise the Lord!!! We are so happy! 🙂 Actually, Jacob was painting when I told him and he barely stopped what he was doing and said calmly, “I know!” and went back to painting. I love his faith! Even though I knew too, it’s always nice to have those feelings confirmed.

Our time at the hospital went well. Jacob had bloodwork, CT, MRI, doctor visit, chemo and we were done by 1:30. We then went to the mall (he had to check out a store that sells gag gifts) and got some groceries. Now were veggin’ out in our hotel room. That’s a pretty good day! 🙂

Thank you for all of your prayers! Obviously they are working. 🙂 God is so awesome!

I love you so much Lord Jesus! Thank you for taking care of my sweet boy.

Two years ago this past Friday – the 22nd, this whole nightmare started. I can remember it like yesterday…. I brought Jacob into the E.R. The 23rd, they flew Jacob and I down to Grand Rapids – that’s when the nightmare really began! The 24th, Jacob had surgery and the surgeon wasn’t sure what it was and said it would be close to 2 weeks for them to figure it out. Two days later on the 26th, Ken and I were brought into a conference room with Jacob’s then doctor, nurse practioners, specialists and social worker. We were told the diagnosis – Ewings Sarcoma! I remember is so clearly – Ken got upset and said that he “couldn’t go through that again” (his father had passed away from cancer just 3 months earlier) and walked out of the room and I started crying. After we got the medical records from the hospital, I found in there notes that we were “difficult” when we found out. If I would’ve known at that moment what they were thinking, that would’ve been my first clue that we were at the wrong hospital. How do they expect parents to act when they tell them their child has a rare bone cancer?? Idiots!! Oh well, the past is the past and I guess we need to concentrate on the now, right?

What is “the now”? Well, we had a wonderful time at home. Time went by way too fast, of course! Jacob did wonderful and felt wonderful. We didn’t really do anything too exciting, but that’s fine with me. My “29th” birthday was on the 15th and my parents had come up for a few days, so that was the highlight of our being home. Jacob and I hadn’t seen them since September when they made the trip to Milwaukee right after Jacob’s surgery. Caleb hadn’t seen them since August, so it was exciting for all of us. Of course that visit went by too fast also. 🙂

Jacob’s counts were fairly good on the 18th. His hemoglobin and platelets were a little bit on the lower side, but Jacob’s doctor felt confident that everything would be fine by the time he gets it checked again tomorrow. So, since his white blood cells were good, he was able to go to school half day on Tuesday and Wednesday. Full days Thursday and Friday. We were so happy that he was feeling good enough to go that much!

Well, it’s Sunday night and we’re back in Green Bay. We came tonight instead as Jacob will have his scans first thing in the morning. Please keep him in your prayers that the scans will remain clear. He will have a CT to check his lungs and an MRI to check his spine. If all is clear and his blood counts are good, he will start chemo after that. They’re hoping to have scan results back within an hour or two.

Some info that I wanted to pass on….

First, I have asked you all in the past to pray for a boy named Deven that had been fighting cancer for quite a while. Friday, he passed away. Please keep his family in your prayers! I can’t imagine what they must be going through.

Second, We need to praise God for blessing Brayden (another young man I’ve asked prayer for). He has finished chemo! Thank you Jesus!!! He had also been receiving treatment for Ewings Sarcoma. He is doing well. Please pray for continued health for him.

Well, that’s all for tonight. I’m tired and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Thanks in advance for all of your prayers!! 🙂